GPA: The Most Overlooked Acronym

in Sports

Dylan Naeger, University of LouisvilleApril 4, 2014

Can You Identify These?• PPG• ERA• YPG• RBI• ACT• GRE• IEP• GPA• APR• GSR

Emphasis Placed on Athletics

• High school sports are the most popular extracurricular activity in high schools, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender (Eccles & Barber, 1999; Eide & Ronan, 2001).

• The National Federation of State High School Associations reported that approximately 55.1% of high school students participated in athletics in 2009-2010.

• A debate that has arisen at the high school level is whether or not athletics have become a more compelling force than academics in American schools.

• Across the nation, critics have questioned the overemphasis placed on athletics in our high schools (Jenkins, Walker, Woodson, & White, 1984; Pipho, 1988; & McGrath, 1984).

• A significant percentage of students regarded sports as more important than the academic component of school (Fisher, Juszczak, & Friedman, 1996).

Participation Numbers• The National Federation of State High School Associations in

2012-2013 stated that there were over 7.7 million high school student athletes in the U.S.

• “It is estimated that 27 million US youth between 6-18 years of age participate in team sports.” (DiFiori, Benjamin, et. al., 2014)

• A 2008 National Council of Youth Sports survey found 60 million US children aged 6-18 participate in some type of organized athletic program.

• Additionally, the study found that 44 million of the 60 million youth participate in more than one structured sport program.

Positive Outcomes of Sports Participation

• Positive social and psychological benefits including:• Increased self-esteem (Braddock, Royster, Winfield, & Hawkins, 1991; Iso-

Ahola & Hartfield, 1986; DiFiori, Benjamin, et. al, 2014)• Development of life skills (Dubas & Snider, 1993)• Increased communication among family members (Abbott, Sutton, Jackson, &

Logan, 1976)• Decreased involvement in risky behaviors/activities (Collingwood, Sunderlin, &

Kohl, 1994)• Increased academic success (Hanks & Eckland, 1976; Posner & Vandell, 1994;

Bailey, 2006)• Increased peer socialization and general fitness (DiFiori, Benjamin, et. al, 2014)• Create positive environments for personal and interpersonal development

(Larson, 2000)• Participation can help the likelihood of lifetime participation in sports and

physical activities (Beets & Pitetti, 2005)

Negative Claims Against Athletics

1. Distraction from academics2. Source of injuries3. Deprive educational programs of resources4. Promote a hierarchical status system5. Destroys confidence, creates anxiety, and

emphasis on winning 6. No relevance to education7. Time commitment prevents people from focusing

on academics

Aries, McCarthy, Salovey, & Banaji, 2004; Coakley, 1998

A Far Cry from “Hoosiers”• Athletics have come to play a major role in the life of high school and

universities across the U.S. today (Griffith, 2007; Hamilton, 2005; Knox, 2007; Mock, 2007; Tublitz, 2007).

• A contributing factor in examining the interplay is the sense high school sports continue to be professionalized.– Sponsorships and advertising– Media coverage– Naming rights– Specialization of athletes– Traveling budgets– Huge stadiums– Corruption

The Balancing Act• A result of the professionalization of high school

sports is that many educators are left with a feeling of increased tension between the educational mission and the powerhouse of athletics (Mock, 2007).

• Another result of professionalization is that athletes, who participate in high revenue sports (football and men’s basketball) have placed a disproportionate amount of their time and focus on the sporting activities and overlooking the academic components (Mock, 2007).

Aspirations of Turning Pro• NCAA conducted a survey to determine the number of high

school athletes who go on to compete at the college level and then the pro level. In 2004, 983,000 students participated in high school football in U.S. Only 56,000 of these individuals went on to play college football and just 0.9% of the 983,000 students ended up making it to the professional level. Same held true for other sports as well: 0.03% in basketball, 0.05% in baseball, and 0.08% in men’s soccer (Knox, 2007).

• During each televised NCAA championship, the NCAA runs the following public service announcement, “There are over 400,000 student-athletes in the NCAA…and almost all of them will go pro in something other than sports.”

Ask yourself this question.

What thought first comes to mind, when you hear the

term student-athlete?

Ponder These Questions…• Does our culture reward and favor athletic

success over academic prowess?

• Are today’s youth growing up idolizing star athletes, scholars, or scholar athletes?

• Do colleges obtain more national and international recognition for athletic success or academic success?

How Will Teddy Bridgewater be Remembered at UofL?

Academic Progress Rate (APR)• Term-by-term analysis of academic

performance of all DI sports teams• Academic eligibility (defined by NCAA

guidelines) and student retention are monitored for each athlete

• The first release of APR data to the public was in 2005

• APR mandates accountability by individual athletic teams and institutions.

Petr & Paskus, 2009

• The NCAA released in June 2013 the most recent four-year DI APR as 974.– Men’s Basketball=952– Women’s Basketball=972– Football=949– Baseball=965

• 2.1% of all student-athletes in the 2011-2012 academic year left their institutions academically ineligible.

• NCAA President Mark Emmert said, “These are strong & meaningful standards, and we are pleased to witness the continued improvement of student-athletes’ academic performance. The NCAA and its member schools believe in supporting success both on & off the playing field.”

NCAA.com

NCAA.com

NCAA.com

APR Comparison by Gender & Sport

College Sports & Educational Values

• Lower admission standards• Preferential admittance

– Statistical advantage in the admission process at all types of institutions– Athletes consist of a large share of the admitted individuals at selective

institutions.• Negative consequence is the student-athlete admitted in this manner,

with lower GPA and ACT/SAT scores, still must maintain eligibility as if they were accepted to the school on normal conditions.

• Placement of student-athletes in less rigorous courses.– More concerned with eligibility than degree advancement.– Grouping majors, by academic rigor– “Major in eligibility” either by choice or by advice from coaching staff

College Sports as Moneymakers• Power of free publicity for the university• Sport publicity helps recruit applicants• Alumni more likely to donate $$• Revenue from high-profile sports• Corporate sponsors• Licensing fees on merchandise• Athletic fees charged to students

Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) vs.Graduation Success Rate (GSR)

• FGR assesses only first-time full-time freshmen• FGR counts them as academic successes if they graduate

from their institution of initial enrollment within six years• FGR makes no accommodation for transfers into or out of

an institution• GSR begins with the federal cohort, and adds transfer

students & mid-year enrollees• Student-athletes who leave an institution while in good

academic standing before exhausting athletics eligibility are removed from the cohort of their initial institution.

Division I Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate (GSR)

• Division I student-athletes who entered college in 2006 earned their degrees at a rate of 82% (Highest ever reported)

• Since the NCAA first began tracking the GSR with student-athletes who entered college in 1995, the rate has increased 8% points. The rate for African-American student-athletes has gained 11% points.

Federal Graduation-Rate Differences Between Student-Athletes & the Rest of the

Student Body• Overall, student-athletes in the entering class of 2006 at

Division I institutions equaled their highest rate in history – 65%, which is 1% point higher than the general student body.

• The only athlete sub-group to have a lower FGR rate than the student general student body were Caucasian males (2% pts. lower)

• African-American male student-athletes graduated 9% points higher than their general student body subgroup. (49% vs 40%)

• African-American female student-athletes graduated 13% points higher than their general student body subgroup. (62% to 49%).

NCAA.com

Flaws in the Comparisons• Eckard (2010) explained the graduation comparisons

used by the NCAA are skewed due to the fact the comparisons are not like individuals.

– Comparison of general population does not consider the difference in full/part status.

– Data has been skewed because of part-time status students– When excluding part-time students of the general population in a

sample of 106 major football schools, the athlete’s graduation rate was 17.7% smaller than the general population. Regarding basketball, a sample of 102 major men’s basketball schools (82 schools common in both samples) showed player graduation rates at 34.3% lower than the general student population.

Strategies to Maintain Academic & Athletic Balance

• Coaches & athletic administrators must place a significance on a healthy balance.

• Create an athletic culture where student-athletes have the initiative & interest in learning.

• Be a pillar of support for the athlete, but not the “foundation”.• Provide reinforcement for academic performance, just as athletic

performance.• Have entire coaching staff value academic success.• Create team accountability with academics• Establish team leaders/captains in regards to academics, character, and

citizenship.• Develop academic confidence & self-esteem in the student-athletes.• Create an environment where the student-athlete believes they belong

and has a role academically.

• Have athletic department personnel meet regularly with academic leadership and teachers/faculty.– Improve communication levels– Improve relationship/respect levels

• Work with the media outlets to better promote academic successes

• Create athletic honor rolls or academic clubs/awards for recognition

• Establish an incentive program for academic success• Develop an academic mentoring program• Provide opportunities for the student-athletes to be

active participants in the educational process, be given chances to display competence, and to demonstrate their value to society and personal growth.

• Thank you for your attention and interest in this topic.

• If you have future questions or would like more information, feel free to contact me at:

Dylan NaegerHSS DepartmentUniversity of LouisvilleCrawford Gym, Room 112Louisville, KY 40292502-852-5050dylan.naeger@louisville.edu